My 2022 resolution is to play more in my studio without expectations (but still enjoy cake at least once a week!). I want to work without outcomes, meaning that what I do in my arts practice is for myself rather than for a specific outcome driven by external requirements. Like making work for an upcoming exhibition. Why not just make work for the enjoyment of it?
A few weeks ago I participated in a workshop by a local artist as part of a gallery run public program. A simple idea - just play with paint and drawing materials. Just the usual materials - pastels, ink, watercolour, pens, paper, brushes. Nothing special, no fancy self-made stick tools and homemade walnut ink but just an emphasis on PLAY. Scary at first - what, no rules???? But then, yippee! I couldn't quite unleash my inner 'Pollock' due to the carpet flooring and limited table space, but I got lost in the mark making anyway.
I went home with several large sheets of watercolour paper decorated. I responded by de-constructing some of the sheets to make books. They are only half-done, I consider what I have already done to be backgrounds and sometime when I feel the need just to play, perhaps on our upcoming caravan travels, I can take out a pen and get lost in the mark making again. Just because it feels good.
Why not?
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| Banksia inspired, working from memory, feeling my way around the seductive cone shapes |
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| scribbling, pushing, blobbing, blowing, flowing |
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| Back in my studio, I folded and cut the large sheets up to form a 'snake' concertina books |
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| I glued some sections together to form more of a codex book form |
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| I then added covers made from box board and mulberry paper - I love the feel of a sturdy cover and the mulberry paper is so lovely to pat..... now they are ready to work into when I'm ready. |
